Rotary valve for internal combustion engines



July 14, 1931.

c. HAWK'\ 1,814,036

\ onny VALVE FOR INTERNAL couBus'rIoN mamas Filed July 10. 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 R -Inue 1for Attorney July 14, 1931; F. HAWK I 1,814,036

26mm VALVE FOR INTERNAL coususyrofl mamas Filed July 10. 1929 2Shuts-Shoot 2 v Inventor (brliifizwiz M s fl god v A iiomey PatentedJuly 14, 1931" cAR r. HAWK, or BELLEVUE, oHIo ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed July 10, 1929. Serial No. 377,130.

This invention relates to an improvedrotary valve for internalcombustion engines and has as its primary object the provision of animproved valve of this type, my inven- 6 tion being applicable to allfluid pressure motors, compression pumps, or other contriw ance, used togain-power or pressure in the form of a piston and cylinder.

A very important object of this invention 1 is further to reduce in thevalve and its operating mechanism, the number of parts, characterized bya simplicity of construction, thus allowing the easy replacement ofparts, yet at the same time, causing no loss of power, butrather theconstruction being such as to cause better compression than is nowobtained by similar types of valves.

"Theinvention to obtain 'such advantages as above enumerated consists inthe forma tion of a valve, consisting of a disc like' body whoseperipheral edge is provided with teeth, the assembled valve resembling agear wheel, the same to be driven by a relatively smaller gear to permitof proper timing of may be brought'at the proper time in alternateregistration with the intake and exhaust port of the combustion chamber.The invention further contemplates the provision of suitable meanswhereby the drive gear may be actuatedfrom the crank shaft, re- 7gardless of the type of gear or crank shaft, and thevalve. disc actuatedby the drive gear to revolve in the cavity in the head or upper part'ofthe cylinder or both. i

Another object of this invention is ,to provide a valve of this typewhich may be readily applied to an engine Without materially alteringthe engine, entailing no change in either the construction or positionof the intake and exhaust ports of, the combustion chamber, my valvebeing adapted for ready application thereto and for positive opera tiontherewith. jQther objects-and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent during a study of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, fwheteiiizfl v 1 afragmentary side elevation the valve so that the single port in thevalve ofan internal combustion engine, my invenfully illustrating'theapplication of my invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view through thecylinder head of the engine, showing the manner in which my improvedvalve is adapted to be disposed in the cylinder head. t W Vith referencemore in detail to the draW-. ings, it will be seen that I "havedesignated generallyjbythe"reference character 5, an internalcombustionengine to which my invention may he applied. Theicylinders ofthe engine arejindicated as at 6,'the engine block as at 7 and 8designates th-ehead of the engine. As illustrated the head 10 isprovided with a plurality of intercoinmunicatiI-ig cavities or're'cesses9 formed'therein, one of said cavities 9 being provided for each of thecylinders. On each of'the extremities 9 are provided an inlet port 10and an exhaust port 11.

In the embodiment illustrated, I have shown a four cylinder type'ofengine audit is to be noted that end cavities 9 communicate with theinner adj acent cavity but these inner adjacent cavities donotcommunicate directly with one another. Interconnecting the innermostcavity there is provided a cavity 12 formed of 'a relatively smallerdiameter than the cavities 10. The purpose of this cavity 12 will behereinafter more fully set forth.

As shown to advantage in Figure 4, the heads of each ofthe cylinders 6merge into a spark plug receiving neck'13, the same being tubular andextending axially ofthe respective recesses 9. Supportedin'the neck'13.and communicating with the combustion chamber of the cylinder is aconventional sparkplug 14. The valve 15 which is substantially disc likeis provided with a central opening 16 through which the neck 13 extends,the valve 15 being'adapted for rotation about an axis, 011 it'speripher'y, each of the 'discvalves 15 are provided with gear teeth17.'jEach of the disc valves 15 located in the intercommunieating recesses9 have their teeth in mesh with one another as clearly illustrated inFigure 3. In other words, the valve discs 15 are arranged in pairs, thevalves of the respective pairs meshing with one another. Also asindicated by the arrows in Figure 3, they direction of rotation of theintermeshing gears of the respective pairs is in operative directionswith the result that the gears in the end recesses have their directionof rotation similar, and the intermediate valves also rotate in the samedirection but in a direction opposite to that direction of rotation ofthe end valve. The initial movement to the valve is imparted by a'gearwheel 18, in mesh with one of the endmost valves 15, as shown toadvantage in Figure 3. The direc tion of the rotation of the gear 15 isindicated by the arrow so as to cause that rotation of the respectivediscs as before stated. The gear 18 is splined to the upper end of ashaft 19, which shaft rises vertically at one end of the internalcombustion engine 5, the said upper end of the shaft 19 being journaledin a suitable bearing bracket 20, which bearing bracket 20 is secured toone end of the engine head 8. The shaft 19 is'adapted to receive itsrotary motion through the medium of suitable operative connection withthe crank shaft (not shown). The gear wheel 21 is arranged in the recess12, this gear 21 being in the nature of a plain gear wheel and isadapted to mesh with the teeth of the inner valve disc 15 as shown. Thisgear may be termed the connector gear. The connector gear 21 is alsosplined on one end of a vertical shaft 22, suitable means being providedin the engine 5, for the reception of the shaft 22. At its opposite endthe shaft 22 has suitable connection with the crank shaft of the engine,its connection and the crank shaft also not shown.

Each of the valve discs 15 is provided with a suitable port 23 adaptedto register alternately with the intake and exhaust port of itsrespective cylinder. To completely enclose the valves 15 within theirrecesses, the head 8 is provided ith a. suitable'cover 24, of a lengthand width corresponding to the head, said plates being secured inposition upon the head for this purpose, through the medium of suitablebolts or rivets or like fastening elements 25.

The head or cover plate 2 1 is of course suit ably formed with spacedopenings adapted to receive the upper portion of the neck 13 of therespective cylinders. The cover plate 24 is also provided with suitableopenings 26, said openings adapted to be disposed in registry with theintake and exhaust ports respectively, formed inv the engine head andlocated within each of the recesses 9. Certain of the openings 26, ofcourse, being formed to receive the extremities of the branch pipe 27 ofthe exhaust port 28, the other of said openings 26 with which registerthe intake ports being likewise formed so as to receive the lower endsof the branch pipes 29 of the intake manifold 30.

It will be readily understood that as the gear 18 is adapted to bedriven from the engine by any suitable connection with the crank shaftthereof it will be operated at the desired speed by their intermeshingwith one another through the medium of the gear teeth, the gears of therespective pairs being connected through the medium of the connectorgear 21 to effect operation of all of the valves with one another, toproperly control the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust portsof their respective cylinders and operate continuously in the usual way.

From the foregoing then, it will be seen that my device is very simplein construction, consists of but few parts, and that by enclosing thevalve in the cavities as disclosed, friction and wear is reduced to aminimum, since the valves are protected from the continual explosion inthe cylinder, which arrangement at the same time allows the carbon toform a more positive sealing of the cylinder as it is used.

It will be also readily appreciated that a mechanism of this type may belubricated by force, powered by a pump as now used on many types ofmotors.

Such a type of lubrication will reach all wearing surfaces, thus givinga more reliable and efficient opening and closing of the valve forcontrolling the intake and exhaust ports in the usual manner.

, Obviously by forming each of my valves as it were to provide their owngear and then so positioning the valves in relation to one another as tohave inter-meshing relation only a minimum number of gearing other thanthat constituted by the valve itself is necessitated, thus rendering mymechanism as a whole very simple without in any way de teriorating fromits quality of operation. Further,it will be appreciated that a valveand mechanism of this type, besides being economical in construction andmaintenance will be also positive in operation, strong, durable andotherwise well adapted for the purpose designed.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodimentof my in vention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible tochanges fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a headincluding a plurality of recesses formed therein, said recesses beingarranged in pairs, the recesses of the respective pairsintercommunicating, said recesses respectively provided with a tubularpart adapted to support therein a spark plug for supporting the latterin operative position to the combustion chambers of the internalcombustion engine, a rotary disc valve arranged in each of saidrecesses, said valve hav ing an opening for accommodating said tubu larspark plug supporting member, each of said recesses being provided withan intake and exhaust port, each of said valves provided with an intakeand an exhaust port for registering with the first mentioned port, saidvalves having teeth formed on the peripheries thereof, the valves of therespective pairs adapted to mesh one with the other, a connecting gearwith one valve of each pair for transmitting movement from one pair ofvalves to the other pair of valves, and gear ing meshing with the othervalve of said one pair of valves for rotating said valves.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a cylinder,a piston operable in the cylinder, said cylinder at the upper endthereof provided with a combustion chamber, a head for said cylinder,said head provided with a recess, a vertical integral tubular memberconcentrically arranged in said recess and at its lower endcommunicating with said combustion chamber, said recess provided with anintake and an outlet port, a disc valve rotatably mounted in said recessand provided with a centrally arranged opening for accommodating saidtubular neck, said valve provided with intake and exhaust ports forregistry with the first mentioned ports,

and means for rotating said valves.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a combustionchamber, a head, said head rovided with a recess, a tubular neck formeintegral with said head, and communicating with said combustion chamber,said tubular neck adapted to support therein a spark plug, a rotaryvalve arranged in said recess, said valve having an opening foraccommodating said tubular neck.

4. An internal combustion engine having, in combination, a head, saidhead provided with a recess, a tubular neck integral with said head,concentrically of said recess, said neck adapted to support therein aspark plug, a disc valve arranged in said recess, and having an openingfor accommodating said tubular neck, whereby the latter provides ajournal for said valve, a cover plate for said recess, said cover plateprovided with an aperture for accommodating the upper end portion ofsaid tubular neck.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CARL r. HAWK.

